Heliotropium sarmentosum

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Sources: Wikidata

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical range spanning across several distinct regions of Asia. In Eastern Asia, its presence is specifically noted within the territory of Taiwan. Moving toward the Indian Subcontinent, it can be found growing in Bangladesh. The species also extends into the Indo-China region, where it inhabits the Andaman Islands. Furthermore, its distribution continues through the mainland areas of Laos and Vietnam.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Morphology

The morphology of Heliotropium sarmentosum is characterized by its substantial growth habit, reaching an average plant height of 3.5 m. It functions as an obligatory climber, specifically manifesting as a liana that relies on external structures for support rather than being self-supporting. In terms of its ecological niche and growth substrate, the plant is strictly terrestrial, neither exhibiting aquatic nor semiaquatic tendencies, and it does not function as an epiphyte.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

liana

Climber :

obligatory

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Plant height mean:

3.5 m

Physiology

The physiology of Heliotropium sarmentosum is characterized by specific morphological dimensions of its foliage and its metabolic approach to nutrient acquisition. The leaves exhibit a notable range in size, with a mean length of 8 cm, fluctuating from a minimum of 6 cm to a maximum of 10 cm. In terms of lateral expansion, the leaf width shows a mean of 3.5 cm, spanning a range between a minimum of 2 cm and a maximum of 5 cm. Regarding its biochemical nitrogen cycle, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it relies on the absorption of available nitrogen from the soil rather than through symbiotic nitrogen-fixing processes.

Leaf length max:

10 cm

Leaf length mean:

8 cm

Leaf length min:

6 cm

Leaf width max:

5 cm

Leaf width mean:

3.5 cm

Leaf width min:

2 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Heliotropium sarmentosum is characterized by the development of specialized structures that facilitate its life cycle, most notably through its inflorescence and fruit production. The inflorescence is relatively compact, with a length that ranges from a minimum of 0.01 m to a maximum of 0.03 m. Following successful pollination, the plant produces fruits that exhibit a highly consistent morphology; the fruit width is uniform, maintaining a minimum, mean, and maximum value of 0.5 cm. This precise sizing of the fruit ensures standardized seed dispersal patterns essential for the species' propagation.

Fruit width max:

0.5 cm

Inflorescence length max:

0.03 m

Inflorescence length min:

0.01 m

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Heliotropium sarmentosum has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include stem.

Stem

1. Journal of natural products